Which Marshall is worth more to you?

[SpiderWars]

Which would be worth more to you? An early 80s JCM800 bone stock/original or an early 80's JCM800 that has original iron/etc but has had an extra gain stage added (extra preamp tube) and Metro loop added, all by an unknown? And let's suppose you have pics of the mods and they don't look bad. I'm just curious if 'modded by Joe' is worth more than stock these days.

 

[lespaul6]

I'm going to say stock for me

 

[Exo-metal]

Post pics of the mod and I'm sure people here can tell you more about what u have exactly.

 

[paulyc]

The modded one for sure, but I’m probably in the minority there.

 

[glpg80]

Stock is king on the used market.

The only place a joe shmo belongs with modifications is a kit amplifier. I've got a masters in EE and still wouldn't warrant the thought of touching an un-molested original JCM800. They're just too rare these days - too many people diving into them that have no business turning them upside down for the safety of themselves and others who receive it.

 

[Zachalou]

If the mod looks good and sounds good I'd go with the mod. Of course you could just get the stock one and mod it however you want (or don't) or just add boosts OR snag a soldano hot mod or kasha quick mod.

 

[scottosan]

Which would be worth more to you? An early 80s JCM800 bone stock/original or an early 80's JCM800 that has original iron/etc but has had an extra gain stage added (extra preamp tube) and Metro loop added, all by an unknown? And let's suppose you have pics of the mods and they don't look bad. I'm just curious if 'modded by Joe' is worth more than stock these days.

Resale is obvious. While I acknowledge that so many of the great amp I like are based on the Marshal Master Volume circuit, it alone is just extremely overrated. You used to be able to pick one of these up for 300-500 15 years ago. I simply dont see people using a stock JCM without some sort of help and a metroloop is a perfect match for a JCM800.

 

[SpiderWars]

Post pics of the mod and I'm sure people here can tell you more about what u have exactly.

I don't have it but it's local and it's what got me wondering. The mods look OK.

 

[Zachalou]

Which would be worth more to you? An early 80s JCM800 bone stock/original or an early 80's JCM800 that has original iron/etc but has had an extra gain stage added (extra preamp tube) and Metro loop added, all by an unknown? And let's suppose you have pics of the mods and they don't look bad. I'm just curious if 'modded by Joe' is worth more than stock these days.

Resale is obvious. While I acknowledge that so many of the great amp I like are based on the Marshal Master Volume circuit, it alone is just extremely overrated. You used to be able to pick one of these up for 300-500 15 years ago. I simply dont see people using a stock JCM without some sort of help and a metroloop is a perfect match for a JCM800.

 

[Racerxrated]

I'm going to say stock for me

This.

Only way a mod is worth more than stock, is if the mod is from someone sought after. Most guys want Original these days.
That said, I found an 82 2204 that had a loop and some small mods done...and it sounded incredible. Should've kept that one, it was 900 bucks.

 

[Racerxrated]

Which would be worth more to you? An early 80s JCM800 bone stock/original or an early 80's JCM800 that has original iron/etc but has had an extra gain stage added (extra preamp tube) and Metro loop added, all by an unknown? And let's suppose you have pics of the mods and they don't look bad. I'm just curious if 'modded by Joe' is worth more than stock these days.

Resale is obvious. While I acknowledge that so many of the great amp I like are based on the Marshal Master Volume circuit, it alone is just extremely overrated. You used to be able to pick one of these up for 300-500 15 years ago. I simply dont see people using a stock JCM without some sort of help and a metroloop is a perfect match for a JCM800.

Over the last 7 yrs of my 30 gigging, I can say with a straight face that 75% of the time I gigged with a stock 800 or a Jubilee, no mods. I've always had one or the other in the stable, and when it came time to load the truck the Marshall wins. Cuts better than anything with the exception of the SLOs I've had.
Of course a pedal or two is necessary to boost, but I never needed any FX for our sets. If I ran my Intellifex with the Jubilee it was dry for most of our songs.

 

[psychodave]

Which would be worth more to you? An early 80s JCM800 bone stock/original or an early 80's JCM800 that has original iron/etc but has had an extra gain stage added (extra preamp tube) and Metro loop added, all by an unknown? And let's suppose you have pics of the mods and they don't look bad. I'm just curious if 'modded by Joe' is worth more than stock these days.

Resale is obvious. While I acknowledge that so many of the great amp I like are based on the Marshal Master Volume circuit, it alone is just extremely overrated. You used to be able to pick one of these up for 300-500 15 years ago. I simply dont see people using a stock JCM without some sort of help and a metroloop is a perfect match for a JCM800.

I’m about to receive a stock 1980 JMP and since it’s a USA model with 4 outputs, I plan on putting a metro effects loop in and wire as “on” all the time (no switch). I’m only removing one wire and 2 jacks which can all be put back in if necessary. I put a loop in a friends bone stock 1979 JMP a few weeks ago and it sounds killer. Sure I could mod it into a Jose, but at this point, I have no need.

 

[steve_k]

depends if you want a loop or not. even joe can install a loop.

 

[Badronald]

I’d take the one with the Metro loop.

A stock, no loop 800 is of very little use to me.

 

[ZEEGLER]

I just had a friend's JCM800 to do a cap replacement job. It's a Canadian one with the metal toggle switches. It has been modded with a loop and an extra gain stage, and I gotta say that after playing through that for an hour or so, I would take it over a stock one any day. It sounded absolutely glorious.

 

[FourT6and2]

Mods don't increase value unless they're done by a reputable, well-known tech. Oh hey, I added lowering springs to my car. It's worth like $1,000 more now, right? Right? No. Not right. If you have a piece of gear with historical value, like an original Jose mode then sure... it'll be worth more than a stock version. If you've got a JCM800 modified by Peter Diezel back in the '80s, and you can prove its providence, then sure it'll be worth more than a stock 800. But some local tech from Akron, OH who adds an FX loop to your 800? Why would anybody pay more for that?

 

[SpiderWars]

Good responses, but I'm not sure I agree that stock is worth more on the market. Many here would say an early 80's 2203/2204 is worth somewhere around a grand. I usually see them for more but those do pop up. That said, I wouldn't really expect a similar yet rando modded 2203/2204 to go for much, if any, less than that.

 

[paulyc]

Mods don't increase value unless they're done by a reputable, well-known tech. Oh hey, I added lowering springs to my car. It's worth like $1,000 more now, right? Right? No. Not right. If you have a piece of gear with historical value, like an original Jose mode then sure... it'll be worth more than a stock version. If you've got a JCM800 modified by Peter Diezel back in the '80s, and you can prove its providence, then sure it'll be worth more than a stock 800. But some local tech from Akron, OH who adds an FX loop to your 800? Why would anybody pay more for that?

Well, if the loop sounds good it makes the amp easier to interface with time based effects and I’d pay more for that, especially a tube loop.

 

[napalmdeath]

Want do you want to do, play it, or flip it? Getting more and more like TGP around here.

It's not complicated. If the modded one sounds better than bone-stock, it's pretty much a no-brainer. If you need a loop, and it's a good one, again, not a genius call.

 

[Badronald]

Mods don't increase value unless they're done by a reputable, well-known tech. Oh hey, I added lowering springs to my car. It's worth like $1,000 more now, right? Right? No. Not right. If you have a piece of gear with historical value, like an original Jose mode then sure... it'll be worth more than a stock version. If you've got a JCM800 modified by Peter Diezel back in the '80s, and you can prove its providence, then sure it'll be worth more than a stock 800. But some local tech from Akron, OH who adds an FX loop to your 800? Why would anybody pay more for that?

“To you”.